Category: History

An t ‘atair Ó Máille was the parish priest that was in Achill before Father Michael. An tAtair Ó Maille had a curate named Fr Malachy Monaghan and it was Fr Malachy that baptised me . An tAtair Ó Máille was from Baile an Tobair or Pártrí (two townlands about 8 or 9 miles south of Castlebar). He was shifted out of Achill before Father Mick came. I think it was because he was old, I don’t know where he was shifted to. Fr Malacly Monaghan was in Achill a good while after An tAtair Ó Máille when he left Fr Henry came and he was Fr Mick’s curate. The next parish priest that came after Fr Mick was Fr Pat O’Conner, Fr Colleran was the parish priest and then Fr Campbell, the present parish priest. That’s five parish priests in my time and An tAtair Ó Máille, but I don’t remember him. I couldn’t be sure about the curates because they usedn’t stay long
Fr Mick is buried in Kildownet with all his people and mine and sure twon’t be long till mesel’be with them now as long as it’ll be. He died in 1867(2th Sept,1867) and he was 20 years a parish priest before he came to Achill. There was only one cutate in Achill that time and now there’s no less than three and a parish priest. It was hard for two priests to attend to a big parish like Achill , there was only two chapels in the parish at that times, the one in Kildownet and the one in River.(a village east of Keel in Achill Island) now there is six chapels in the parish and four priests, and they have to have mass in some of the schools too in the villages that are too far from a chapel.

Father Mick Gallagher was my uncle as I said before and I was only three weeks old when he came to Achill as a parish priest. He came in 1847, he spent a while in Turoc (a place about 4 miles from Castlebar on the road to Ballyvary) and a while in Islandeady (a place between Castlebar and Westport) It was from Islandeady he came to Achill ,when he came he was living in a small house in Cashel l(a village in centre of Achill Island) He got the house repaired and he had a fine comportable thatched house then. When the jumpers got the land in Cashel the priest had to leave it. He came up to Bréan-Asgaill(a village about 3 miles south of Achill Sound on west side of the Sound). Bréan- Asgaill was in Pike’s estate (Pike was a landlord and grandfather of the present Mr Pike who lives about half a mile west of Achill Sound). Pike was a great friend of the priest also Pike was a Protestant. He put a man out of his house in Bréan- Asgaill and gave the house to Father Mick, but he build a house for the man he put out, indeed Pike was very good to my uncle(Fr Mick) . He gave him eight acres of land at Kildownet chapel and fenced it in for him, you can see it today, it is on the south side of the chapel and it is now divided into eight stripes, if you count eight stripes up(southwards) from the chapel you will come to an aitnn ditch. All them eight stipes was land that Pike gave to my uncle. Fr Mick was a great horse-man and he used to have a good horse always. He had one grey horse once and indeed he was a fine horse. There’s a likeness of the priest riding on the grey horse, in Pikes below yet (in Mr Pike’s residence, half a mile west of Achill Sound). You can see the house in Bréan Asgaill where my uncle was living, it is down at the shore. It is a two storeyed slated house now but it was only a thatched house in my uncle’s time. There is a man named Scanlon living in it now.

This Michael Gallagher was my father’s father and Fr Michael Gallagher was his son and a brother of my father’s. My father’s name was Tommy Gallagher. My grandfather was very well off. He had a hooker and used to be whale fishing. He used to go to Donegal and buy stockings and selling the stockings first he hadn’t much to spare, one day here in Corrán where he was living a young man, a stranger to the place came in and that he wanted a few pairs of stockings but that he had no money my grandfather said to him: “Ní artnigim tú, bfuil bannaide a bit agat;” “Mac dé”arfa an strainféar, uad sin amac bí an t-airgead á cárnú ifteac ‘uige aguf ní faca sé lá boct ‘na déid sin gur caillead é.
When his so Fr Micheal was in collage in Maynooth there used to be a day every year that the father’s used to go to see their sons in the collage. They used to have big feast and its how the fathers of the students used to collect among themselves and pay for the dinner. Once my Grandfather was at the dinner, when they began to collect the money my Grandfather stood up and said,”Ná bacaigid leif, glanfaid mife an sgór indui”

A man of the Gallagher’s from Tieraur (Tír an Áir) a townland between Malranny and Newport) who was a parish priest in America and whilst he was there he was among most of his relations from Ballycroy and Achill and they gathered a lot of money for him. His mother’s name was Campbell, a relation of the money to be spent to educate the Gallaghers of Achill, Ballycroy Tiernur or their offspring. For the priesthood and if there was any money left over they were to go to Donegal to the offspring of the Gallaghers there. A good many Gallaghers got the scholarship but there was never a priest of the Gallaghers ordained but they were not Gallaghers -their mothers were some of the Gallaghers- and the first to be ordained from the scholarship fund was a policemans son from Newport, but he was not a Gallagher. He (the parish priest who left the money) came home to Tieraur on a visit and he walked to Achill though Corrán and back again to Tiernaur on foot. He was so gortac that he wouldn’t spend a penny and no wonder he’d have money. This Fr Gallagher was ordained sometime after my uncle (Fr Michael Gallagher ) and it was though Fr Michael recommendation he got the place in America whilst he was at home on his visit he never gave a penny to any of his friends or left them any in his will. There was a good many of the Gallaghers from Achill here who got the scholar ship, but something happened everyone of them before they were ordained, so none of them ever was a priest from it. There must be some mallait or mí-ád on it.

I remember when the monks came to Bun a Corraig (a village in central Achill) and ‘twas near a great flight when they were gathering stories for the monastery. Taws in Gallagher’s land (owners of the Public house is now rented by Mr Michael Lyon) above the road at the little bridge, when the stones were gathered ready for bringing down to Bun a Corraig were they were goin’ to build the monastery the Cashel people and the Bun a Corraig people came to stop the monks from bringing the stones down. When the Corrán people heard it they went down with their horses and carts and asses to bring down the stones for the monks. ‘Twas a woman from Clocmór side (named Grace Gallagher) that got hold of the first stone and then a man named Patten a man named Nolan, she (Grace Gallagher) belonged to FR Gallagher’s people (note on Fr Gallagher later s. m.) when the people below, Cashel and Bun a Corraig people saw that the Corrán people meant business they went home and the monastery was built. The monastery was built a year or two after my uncle (Fr Michael Gallagher) came to Achill. Fr Gallagher came to Achill in 1847.
Most of the Bun a Corraig and Cashel people were “soupers”at that time and that’s why they didn’t want the monastery in Bun a Corraig. But the Corrán people, the most of them anyway were good Catholic’s and they went down to help the monks. The Bishop ordered them that for ever as long as the monastery would be there that a Corrán man would always have Céad Míle Fáilte in the monastery , and plenty to ate and a bed for the night if he wanted it. I don’t know is it so now, any how times are different now and people don’t be travelling long journey on foot like long ‘go.

Both of them were near the chapel to the south of it where the rivers are going down to the shore. They were owned by a family of the Heverins who came from Erris ( probably from Doolough s.m.). Some of their family are living in Belfarsad yet one of the men was married to Patchaco’s daughter. One of the mills was for grinding corn and the other one was only a small one for the thickening flannin. The one for the corn was the nearest to the chapel. Its about 55 years since the big one stopped but the thickening mill was working between 20 or 25 years ago.

A daughter of Patchacó’s was married to one of the Heverins that owned this mill. (the mill was in Belfarsad near where the church is today, Belfarsad is near Achill Sound). Patchacó’s name was Pat Mc Neela he was a native of Tóin ré Gaoit,or Claggan(in South Ballycroy). He used to be with Caiptín Ó Máille, he was a better seaman than the Caiptín but he hadn’t the “navigation” like the Caipín, seldom the Caiptín used to go out without him.

In 1847, the year of the famine, Fr Mick was transferred to and given charge of the parish of Achill. Nangle’s mission was at the peak of its power. The story of Mick’s seal for his parishioners had preceded him to Achill and Nangle and his followers proceeded to persecute and annoy the priest in every possible way.
Fr Mick settled in Cashel as being the most suitable centre from which to carry out his duties and Nangle made every effort to root him out of there but failed. As a final resort the acquired the property from the O’ Donnelly of Newport and then he successfully proceeded to evict the priest. He was forced to leave Cashel and he took up residence in the Valley House. Even there the persecutors followed him and the stairs were cut away while the priest was in an upper story. The underhand methods used by Nangle to persecute the priest were displeasing even to certain members of the Prodestant Society of Achill. In those days and Mr William Pike of Derraree gave the evicted priest a small portion of land in Bleanaskill on which to build.
Just as in Islandeady Fr Mick spent himself for his flock and he laboured for them late and early. He even became permanently crippled while attending one of his parishioners on one occasion. He had been called to administer the last rites of the Church to a dying man in Ballinglanna Corraun when he was thrown from his horse and his knee was broken. From that he was compelled to use two sticks
On another occasion he had been called out to Dooega at 1 a.m. to attend a dying man and as there was no regular road to Dooega Village in those days he asked old Mathew Heaney to accompany him while they were away another party called for him to attend a sick person in Meewillan Corraun. The Meewilan party returned home after telling the priests housekeeper that a fire would be lighted in Meewillan if the priest was urgently needed that night. When the priest and Mathew returned from Dooega the signal fire was seen in Meewillan .its meaning was explained to the priest
Who immediately saddled his horse and rode rapidly to Gob na Fearta opposite Meewilan Here he forced the horse into the tide and swam him across the half-mile of intervening sea until he came ashore on Gob na nAistri .He was just in time to administer the last comforting rites to the dying man. The probability is that had he waited to travel the longer but safer road to Belfarsad the patient would have gone to His maker, unfortified by the last Sacrments. Such was Fr Mick Gallagher.one of Achill’s most illustrious sons, who never spared himself night or day in the interests of his people and like his Divine Master whose faithful servant and disciple he was, he favoured not the rich more than the poor.
For the most part, Fr Gallagher’s work was a “labour of love” The contributions from his poverty stricken parishioners never amounted to much. On one occasion his yearly collection in Upper Achill amounted to a mere £5. Were it not for his fathers resources the good Saggart would not be able to live by the Gospel” On another occasion his Easter collection in Lower Achill amounted to15/- He gave the entire collection to a poor man for the relief of the latter’s family.
During Fr Micks period of residence in Bleanaskill he was in the habit of employing two men each year in the spring time to carry out tillage operations on his small holding. Part of their duties was to go to the shore and on the rocky section cut a quantity of sea weed to be used as a fertiliser for potatoes. One spring time, the men working for Fr Mick brought a boat with them to that portion of the shore lying westwards of Cormack’s residence in Currane. Cormack was the landlord and one of the men left the boat to cut sea weed growing on a rock some distance out from the shore.
Cormack clamed this particular rock and the sea weed on it as his particular property.s he summoned Fr Mick trespass and damage. This might appear to be a strange action action on the part of catholic landlord. But Fr Mick was a most bitter opponent of landlordism and his opposition made Cormack bitter and revengeful.
Just as in a previous law suit in which Fr Mick was engaged the case went from court to court until the costs amounted to several hundred pounds and although Cormack offered to settle the whole matter for a nominal _ .Fr Mick feeling he had justice on his side. Stubbornly refused all offers of settlement and the case was finally dismissed. Fr Mick how had to bear his own law costs Here again his fathers savings came to the rescue but by the time the debts were paid the purse was empty.
Fr Mick Gallagher died a comparatively young man being only 60 years but his years on the mission had been most strenuous ones he had worn himself for his people it will be rembered that he broke his knee cap while attending to his sacred duties and because of unskilled attention at the time and because he himself would not give the limb the rest it required to heal properly it told so much against him in the last years of his duties. Sending a younger man to assist him.
On September 2nd 1867 Fr Mick passed to his eternal reward. From Dooagh to Currane from Achill Beg to Tonragee. His people flocked in hundreds to pay their last respects to their beloved Fr Mick when the news of his death reached them. While they stormed heaven in their sweet native Gaelic pleading for eternal repose for his soul.
Before he died he left written instructions that he was to be buried with his father and brother in Kildownet on the day of his funeral Fr Richard Prendergast of Newport wanted to have the remains interred in Kildownet Church. But Wm. Pike intervened and insisted on the terms of the will being carried out.
Fr Mick was placed with his father and brother in old Kildownet cemetery

On the 14th Dec last the fishing boats of the fishermen of Currane Achill. Were seized by Irish Free State Forces and removed to Westport Quay where they have been retained since.
Complaint has reached us that the fishermen thus deprived of the means of earning a livelihood are in a very bad state and the District Councillor of the division at Westport Workhouse on Thursday to apply that out-door relief be provided for them.
It seems strange that the boats should be retained so long. Their condition has not improved by the lying up atWestport Quay and quite possible some of those boats are now almost worthless.
We trust this matter may receive attention from those in a position to deal with it. The loss of boats in this the cod fishing season is a very serious loss to those poor fisherman.
This report was taken from the Mayo News of March 10th 1923.
Our research tells us that the Free State Army or Black in Tans seized eight boats from Clochan and some older people remember that day and remember seeing the boats going over to Westport one after the other.
The boats seized were. Michael Sheans Michael Jims Michael the Tailors Pat Liams
Michael Phatch Mhor. James Mauds, Pat Mhiceals.
The boats were returned and £8. Compensation paid to the Fishermen.

Rev. Sir,
In justification of my character I think it is necessary to lay before the public the bad usage you have given me at Mass last Sunday and likewise all the provocation I gave you for doing so.
You are aware that I am a man that lives by my industry, and of course I both weigh and pay with every person without regarding what religious opinions they may hold, provided I find them honest in their dealings. I therefore have sold to the Colony people some potatoes, for which you have treated me at Mass in a most unmerciful manner by cursing and abusing me, and then turning me out of the Chapel in presence of all the congregation as you would a complete heretic .
Indeed if I were going to change my religion I would not blame you for cursing me the same as you do every other person that turns Protestant, but this is not the case with me, I only gave them the value of their money the same as I would to any other person, and I won’t be prevented from doing so, and you may curse away as much as you like because I am sure that God won’t suffer them to fall upon me in such a case.
Now as you have put me to it, I shall expose before the public your mean principles, even in the private affairs of your own congregation. You know that the last time that you held confessions in my house, after going to the next village, you told the neighbours there that you hoped they would give yourselves and your horses better usage than I did, that you were never in so poor a house, that I starved both yourself and the horses therefore in repudiation of such a statement I shall only appeal to Messrs. T.& R.& M’G. three respectable persons whom I brought to dinner with you and keep you company on that occasion.
You know that it happened upon a Friday, and ye could eat no meat, I therefore prepared a good seasoned Ling for your dinner, and plenty of whiskey, and I gave you plenty of bread and butter and tea, for breakfast and supper, and after that as much punch as you were able to drink, and the horses got plenty of potatoes, as there was no oats to be got, and all the thanks ye had for me, was to begin to speak bad of me behind my back.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
Patrick Mc Hugh.
Duniver, July 5, 1839